Bola-style neckties have long been a commonly worn type of neckwear, particularly in the western United States. Such ties typically consist of a cord of 3/16 inch or smaller diameter worn around the neck, the free ends being held together by an clasp bearing some form of ornamentation such as precious stones. Clasps traditionally used for bola style type ties have been non-releasable devices which slide upon the cords comprising the tie and which rely on friction to maintain their position. Examples of this type of clasp are seen in U.S. Pat. No. 2,846,688 to Meeker and 2,896,217 to Cedarstaff. Because of the constant friction on the tie such clasps are inconvenient to operate and create substantial wear on the tie through use over a period of time.
An example of a releasable prior art bola tie clasp is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,675,277 to Day. Such prior art clasp had a number of disadvantages. First the clasp requires the addition of a stone or other ornamentation (column 2, line 36-39) or other ornamentation to form a completed article of jewelry. Second the clasp is constructed of parts which are separable from one another and requires the cords of a bola tie to be in place to hold the various components together. Third, even with its releasable feature, it does not provide the smooth sliding and clamping surfaces of the present invention which minimize wear on the cords of a bola tie during continued normal use.